our mission

Our Mission

HELP AND INSPIRE PEOPLE THROUGH RUNNING

Running takes your body, mind, and spirit to a better place. The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward can make you healthier, happier, and more confident.

Like the starting horn at a race, we want to be the “Go!” that gets people running for life. At New York Road Runners, it is our goal to give everyone on the planet both a reason to run and the means and opportunity to keep running and never stop.

Over the past 60 years, we have grown from a local running club to a global champion of the running movement. We are the world’s premier community running organization, and our efforts and events serve all runners and active individuals, from beginners to professional athletes: the young, the elderly, and the underserved of all abilities.

We impact the lives of over 600,000 people annually, from New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs to runners around the world, through a wide variety of events and programs for people of all ages and abilities.

It is our unique nonprofit model, which teams contributions from corporate, foundation, and individual donors with earned income from our best-in-class events, that makes all our efforts possible.

Together with the help of all of NYRR’s members, supporters, participants, and partners, we're working hard to fulfill our mission of giving all people everywhere a reason to run. Today, tomorrow, and for life.

New York Road Runners serves nearly 600,000 runners of all ages and abilities annually through hundreds of races, community open runs, walks, training sessions, and other running-related programming, with 267,000 youth participating in free fitness programs and events nationally, including 134,000 in New York City’s five boroughs.